[I see….you really have been through a lot.]
[Indeed, but the memory from when I was still within the Demon King's grasp was pretty vague. Since my soul was manipulated with magic, I was only half conscious all the time until I got connected to the magic furnace.]
Irene Blanc Miscronia, Ir for short, said with a bitter smile. She's the current queen of Miscronia kingdom, and also Marl's mom. An eternal 17 year old woman.
She disguised herself as a maid to both surprise and observe me. I was enjoying the tea served by her when my appraisal unfolded her disguise. I'm listening to Ir recounting her memories now. For some reason I didn't know of, she's still in her japanese style maid outfit.
The story of Hero vs Demon King from Ir-san's perspective was quite interesting. Especially since she's directly involved in it, there's a sense of "being there" in her story.
That "Hyper Instrument*" part on her bio truly piqued my interest though. It's out of question since she's technically my soon-to-be mother in law. But I just couldn't help it as a man.
(TL note: *名器 literally means "famed instrument", but apparently it's also a slang word which in this regard means "She got a super good vgna". Sorry I didn't bother to search about this on the previous chapter.)
[Even so, resuscitating a dead person… is it really possible?]
[It was certainly not easy. There is always a price to pay, although I have to keep it a secret. Still, I am happy as it is.]
Ir-san put her hands on her cheeks and smiled as she said so. Her expression showed a genuine enough happiness in my eyes.
The way she laughs really resembles Marl. Truly like mother and daughter after all.
But a Demon King? I wonder what this demon king she was referring to. After all, I also had that title myself.
=====
[Title]
Stranger, Magic Swordsman, Swordsman, Beginner Adventurer, Rising Star, Pure Magic User, Martial Artist, Troll Crusher, Adventurer, Hero, Intermediate Mage, Barrier User
Veteran Adventurer, Interrogator, Executioner, Karendil Kingdom Certified Hero, Sword Saint, Master of Fist, Master of War, Sex Fiend, Beginner Blacksmith, Blacksmith, Veteran Blacksmith, Supreme Blacksmith
Divine Material Creator, Magic Swordsmith, Veteran Magician, Conqueror Hero, Brave Hero, Divine Sword, Divine Fist, Divine Polearms, Exterminator, Supreme Magician, Demon King, Breakwater, Demon King Slayer, Dragon Slayer, Magician of Space
Mage of Rumbling Earth, Mage of Glowing Water, Mage of Exploding Flame, Mage of Extreme Wind, Master of Elements, Successor of the Assassination Fist, Fluff Lover, Female Killer, Miracle Healer, Demon Hunter, Dragon Serpent Slayer, Rare Hunter, Spider Lord, Faster than Sound, Gourmand
=====
Oy, it increased again without me knowing. I don't even remember ever killing a woman before.
There are still about 200 skill points left. And the reset skill is still there as well. Should I try out something new?
[What is the matter? You suddenly went silent.]
[I was just wondering about this demon king you mentioned. How do people actually define a Demon King?]
[One who has taken countless lives and souls. That is a Demon King. In that sense, wild animals, monsters, or even a human can become a Demon King. However, if enough people recognize you as one, then you will become one. In the past, there was an occasion where two countries that were hostile to one another called each other's king the Demon King.]
[I see.]
It's the kind of world where people with extraordinary growth during level ups are considered as Heroes after all. In other words, being both a Hero and Demon King is plausible.
[Hero is similar in nature. Nowadays, status checkers are pretty accurate in judging this, but most of the time people above a certain level are considered Hero. At the end of the day, both Hero and Demon King are titles. Of course, whether someone is a true Hero or Demon king, I think it should only be decided through the merits of their conduct and way of thought. Am I right?]
[True. But I wonder about my case.]
If it's just me, I feel like I fit the description of a Demon King more.
I certainly saved many lives through the sheer amount of power I had in command. But that same sheer power must've roused some fear in many people. Especially the upper echelon of Karendil Kingdom.
But I wonder. The regular folks, fellow adventurers, and soldiers who saw me slaughtering the monster for their sake may simply consider me a hero.
[Depend on what you will do from now onward? I would prefer that you stay a Hero if you are to marry my daughter though]
[Hmm… I'll do my best]
Very well. Thinking so, I took a sip on my tea with a smile.
But thank goodness, compared to that old man who tried to kill me right at the gate, Ir-san seemed to be more willing to let me marry Marl.
[Even so, thank goodness. That girl, she can be very picky at times. I taught her to never let go once she found someone worthy. That is why it's such a big deal that she brought back a Hero with her.]
[I can somewhat see that from her status, but that's just because you raised her that way after all!?]
I could only snap with a tsukkomi back at the queen after hearing such an outrageous confession coming from her. This person before me is the definitely the cause behind Marl's predatory and possessive personality.
[Eee? Did something happen?]
[She fed me with nectar the first night we met…]
[…..Ahー, I see. Sorry then?]
But of course even she didn't expect Marl to go that far, judging from the sweat drop and consequent apology from Ir-san.
=====
[How is it, Taichi-san! Am I looking good!]
[Un, both Marl and Fram look good in those dresses.]
[Th, thank you…]
After I complimented them both, Marl reacted by hugging my arm while smiling from ear to ear, and Fram stayed on her spot with her head down like a lily. Perhaps she had her own reservation due to her status as a criminal slave.
Uーn, let's force Sondark to give Fram a pardon next time. Regardless of what Fram would think about it, keeping things as is wouldn't be good for the future. Though I'll still have to discuss this with Marl first.
By the way, Marl was wearing a dark blue frilly dress. Her hair was styled in her usual daily look, but, how should I say it? The entire ensemble still fits her. Perhaps because she's an actual princess? The dress itself emphasizes cuteness instead of sexiness.
Fram on the other hand, wore a gorgeous rose patterned red dress. Her charmingly long silky hair was tied around the top. The dress itself had a large exposure on the nape and back area. Overall, in contrast to Marl's, it fully exhibits Fram's mature womanly charm.
Actually, she had some old scars all over her body from the years of training as a knight. But since I entered the equation, I've been applying healing magic almost every night that her skin is now as smooth as glass.
I didn't really mind the scars, but I care about her so much that I just did it. I had no regrets at all!
[Taichi-san, do not just look at Fram all the time, look at me as wellー!]
Marl who was hugging my arm suddenly tightened her hug while tugging at my arm with equally strong force. This one really…
[There there, cute Marl, cute Marl. Marl is the best in the entire world.]
[Gununu, why do I feel that you treat us differently… hmm!]
[It's because of my gentlemanly nature, or rather I can't openly flirt with you under the current circumstance]
I said that while glancing in a certain direction.
[…..]
Right there, was the old man who could probably kill a troll with his gaze seeing how murderous he's looking at me right now, Erwin Blanc Miscronia. Adding to the creepiness was that smile which seemed to be forcefully plastered on his face.
I felt like he'd jump at me immediately if Ir-san wasn't currently by his side. No, he'd definitely do that. I'm sure of it.
[Would you please stop flirting already and get to your seat, dear-bastard-son-in-law-dono?]
How he referred to me was horrible, but I decided to obey and take a seat in one of the chairs.
The man his runaway daughter had brought home is not going to just marry his daughter alone, he even brought his second bride-to-be along. And that man was me.
If I were in his shoes, I would probably react similarly. Regardless if my daughter and the other woman agreed to it, I would still never forgive the man.
I have to beat this outrageously enviable man by all means! That's probably what's inside his mind.
[Honored Father, it is not good to keep such an attitude forever. Moreover, has it not been a while since our family had a dinner together like this? Not to mention Mariel just came home.]
A handsome looking man whose hair had similar color to Marl's attempted to coax the furious oldman.
His name is Albert Blanc Miscronia. Marl's elder brother and the eldest son of Miscronia Royal Family. His Excellency Crown Prince and the next King of Miscronia himself.
This handsome man was slightly taller than me, and I could tell that he had a good amount of physical training when we shook hands earlier.
To be more exact, I used appraisal eye on him and found out that he's level 26, already leveled sword mastery and martial arts to 4, max level in both water magic and magecraft, and lastly, even if it's only at level 1, he's the only person other than myself so far to have a physical strengthening skill.
To make an honest judgement, he's much stronger than Karendil's royal knights. And even if Marl had a higher level, Albert would probably still beat her in a sword fight.
[That is correct, Dear Father. Taichi-sama helped wipe out the monsters near Lumiere, did he not? Moreover, he brought big sister Mariel back safe and sound. Should we not be thankful instead?]
A dignified bell-like voice chimed in following Albert's attempt.
The owner of that voice was Tinava Blanc Miscronia. She's Marl's younger sister, the second princess of Miscronia kingdom. Similar to her elder brother and sister, Tinava was a beautiful young lady with long brown hair. She's wearing a light colored dress that emphasized her youth.
Despite her similarities in appearance, she had this calm demeanor that made me wonder if she's really Marl's younger sister. She seemed to be as tall as Marl, or perhaps a bit shorter? Either way she's petite. I wonder if her chest was of similar size to Marl's though. But considering that she's even younger than Marl, I'm not expecting much.
Anyways, this is truly a family full of beautiful men and women. Even the furious old man looked dandy and handsome despite his obvious aging.
[Mumumu…]
[What's with that mumumu? Taichi-san, please excuse us. Even if he's already this advanced in age, he still dotes on each one of his children so much.]
[No, I can understand it since I would've probably acted the same if I was in the position of a father. Thus I don't mind when His Majesty swung his sword at me on the castle entrance earlier.]
The atmosphere instantly froze after what I said.
Eh? Did I do something wrong?
The oldman's lips were jittering as if frightened, Albert facepalmed as he looked up to the ceiling. Tinava also seemed surprised as she covered her mouth with her hand.
[?]
Fram was similar to me, as in she didn't get what was happening. Marl… she was staring at the old man with a stern look. Then, what about Ir-san…?
[Hii…]
A small scream leaked out from my mouth.
It's the Hannya, a literal Hannya had appeared. Her facial expression was smiling but the aura emanating from her was dangerously frightening. It was such a terrifying smile that actually scares me.
I swore I could see the sword wielding demon in a Hannya mask behind Ir-san! How's that possible!
[My dear? What was that all about? Was it not supposed to be a warm welcome?]
[I, indeed it was.]
[Marl-chan?]
[Anyone else other than Taichi-san would have been cleaved in two. Guilty as charged.]
Marl's judgment caused the old man to fall into tears.
Hahaha, serve you right! As the victim, I couldn't help but to feel slightly pleased. The amount of magic power behind the oldman's attack showed that it was a strike to kill.
I certainly can understand his feelings. Maybe one day I will act the same if my beloved daughter is enamored by some wild stallion of a guy. But that's a different story.
[Ufufu, excuse us, but we are going to leave our seats for a while. Everyone, please continue eating without worry, alright?]
[Wa, wait! Please listen to me, listen to me and you'll understand!]
[Ufufu, you have shown a needless conduct as someone in your position. Did you even warn Taichi-kun before you came slashing at him? You should have already prepared for the repercussions]
A large amount of water suddenly wrapped around the old man, creating a water capsule. The old man was soon struggling from drowning inside the floating water capsule. It's scary how the queen could drown the King right in front of the guest like this.
[All of you, please ignore us and continue eatingー]
That said, Ir-san walked away from the dining room. The water capsule with her husband inside it floated in the air following her.
Awkward air filled the dining room.
[Shall we continue to dine?]
[Right.]
I quickly agreed to Albert's suggestion, thawing the awkward air around us. As if on cue, the kimono maids began to serve the dishes.
Not only sashimi, grilled and fried food such as tempura also appeared. Japanese foods! It's japanese food alright. It's the japanese food that I've halfway given up on ever eating again since I came to this world. I felt myself tearing up a bit.
[The way Taichi-sama eats truly makes it seem like it's really delicious.]
[Nn ghu, mm. Pardon me. It's similar to the taste of my hometown. It just instantly got me hooked.]
I stopped my chopsticks after hearing princess Tinava's comment. The dishes were so delicious I think I enjoyed it too much. Was my conduct a little unsightly for the royal family? How embarrassing.
But the young princess was the one who looked embarrassed instead.
[Oh, no, that is not it… excuse me. Perhaps it is rude of me to say this, but it is kind of cute, or should I say it is pleasant to look, maybe?]
[It is true that Taichi-san looks like a young kid only when he is eating, and the innocent kind of kid at that. The way he eats looks so delicious, it feels good to watch.]
[Certainly, Master is a gourmet of sorts. It's amazing to see how happy he looks even when just having a delicious sweets.]
Marl and Fram also added to the conversation. Now that everyone is focusing their attention on me, it's hard to continue eating!
[Now now, you two, it's against the etiquette to stare at others when they are eating like that. Taichi-kun, can you hold your liquor?]
[Unfortunately I'm not that strong with alcohol…]
[I see, well then.]
After Albert motioned the maids, they returned with a handful of jar… and I mean japanese style sake jar. They then poured the clear liquid content into a splendid kiriko style sake set. (TL note: unlike regular sake sets that are usually made of ceramic or clay, edo kiriko style sake sets are made of clear glass, painted with colorful ornament.)
Albert also offered it to the women, but they politely refused, so it's only me and him who got to enjoy the liquor.
[Today… ah, yes. Cheers to my soon-to-be brother and sisters in law.]
[Cheers!]
Albert raised his sake cup, and so did I. We drank the sake in a single go.
As the well chilled liquid passed through my throat, a refreshing fruity scent wafted on my nostril. The aftertaste was as refreshing as the aroma, and a slight sweetness still lingered in my tongue. Contrary to its freshness, I could feel my body heat up.
[This is easy to drink… but, isn't it a bit too strong?]
[Ahaha, this is like water to me. It might seem to be on the strong side for you, but it shouldn't intoxicate you as one might think it will. Come on, drink some more. At least accompany me for three more cups.]
The maids refilled our cups already, so I simply marched on and drank.
Uーn, this feeling of heat rising from the back of my stomach really gave it an impression of a strong alcoholic content. But I certainly didn't feel as drunk as I should after drinking something this strong.
The cup was refilled and I drank again. Un, I might get addicted to this sake.
We continued to dine while chatting, until, perhaps the fifth cups of sake? Suddenly the drunkenness struck me.
[Oya? For some reason Taichi-san is starting to look groggy there. Perhaps the fatigue from travelling has surfaced. Shall we call it a day then?]
Everything seemed to spin in my eyes. I couldn't reply back
Someone helped me get up from the chair and lent their shoulder for me to hold on. Familiar hair color and scent, so it must be Marl.
[Sorry, to show such a pitiable state…]
[Ahaha, that is alright. Taichi-san is still vulnerable to liquor after all. Though I wonder why poison didn't work on you?]
It's true that poison wouldn't work on me, but I could still be intoxicated by alcohol as normal. Perhaps poison resistance and alcohol resistance are different things. Maybe I should check next time.
I didn't really remember where and how I got here, but when I realized I was already in a dimly lit room and there was a bed in front of me. I let myself fall on the bed with a sigh.
I lied down, then rolled around as I stripped myself down. Feeling a bit too cold, I reached out for Marl and pulled her in.
[Ah, nnn… That is no good, Taichi-san. I need to change my clothes first. Please wait a moment, I will be back after I change clothes.]
The warmth I had managed to secure suddenly slipped away from my arms like wind. I could hear her leaving the room after lightly caressing my cheek.
Nothing I could do about it, so I decided to just wait on the bed.
After a while, there was a sound of the door being opened by someone.
That someone approached the bed, but showed no sign of climbing up any time soon.
[Ah…]
If you're trying to play hard to get, all I need to do is stretch my arms and drag you into the bed.
I embraced her body, tasting her exposed skin, inhaling the scent of her chest. It felt so reassuring.
Kissing her as usual, I started sending in ancient magic, then proceeded to go for a deeper kiss.
She's strangely quieter today. Felt like I was kissing an innocent girl. Ah yeah, there was a talk about children's clothes earlier this afternoon. I see, so it's that kind of play. She certainly felt younger by acting like this.
[Nnhnnfu, shh, top.]
So I proceeded with more care than usual, circulating the ancient magic slowly as I went.
She struggled a bit but that innocent action strangely only served to stoke the ember that is my desire. It felt so much different than usual.
[Ah, uaa…]
I always prevail when it comes to a slow game. If you want to keep the commanding seat of the family, maybe you should try a little bit harder.
She fainted somewhere along the road, but I didn't mind about that. I poured healing magic on her and didn't even wait for her to wake up.
=====
And then, the morning came.
[Nn…]
I woke up to the voice of chirping birds. It's refreshing to wake up like this indeed. Looking sideways, I could see the brown hair peeking from under the blanket, and felt the warmth of her body temperature on my left arm.
The bed was in a pretty messy state since I really went all out last night. I'd use purify magic to clean it later, but for now I want to bask in this happy moment a little longer.
I gently removed the blanket covering Marl's face as I want to enjoy seeing her sleeping face. She should be sleeping soundly while drooling right now.
[…..Eh?]
There wasn't even a drool in the first place. What laid next to me was a beautiful brown haired girl sleeping innocently.
As I continued to watch her sleeping face, the long eyelashes fluttered. The eyelids slowly opened, and the slightly out of focus eyes met with mine.
Her face soon turned bright red, perhaps due to confusion, then astonishment, and finally overwhelming embarrassment. She clung tightly to my arm as she buried her blushing face into my arm.
[G, good morning…]
[Good morning.]
After hearing her voice as she replied to my morning greet, I looked up to the ceiling.
It's time to face reality. I need to accept the fact that the little octopus latching on my arm was not Marl, but actually Tinava Blanc Miscronia.
It felt like a dejavu in a way.
Let's try to recall what happened.
During the dinner last night, Albert offered some sake to me, which made me drunk, and then Marl helped me to reach this room, after which I fell into the bed. Up until point, it's still an OK.
Afterward Marl left, saying that she needed to change her clothes. I could still remember that. So I simply waited on the bed… until Marl returned some time after. Then I pulled her into the bed and we went straight to the action.
Recalling all that, I took another look at princess Tinava next to me. Being Marl's sister, her scent and body type were similar, but she wasn't Marl. And not Fram either. She was Princess Tinava.
Ah, now that I think about it, the way she reacted to my play was strangely innocent, and the amount of power exchanged through ancient magic last night was smaller than usual.
[Oh…..]
I unfolded the blanket to confirm my fear. And surely enough, there was a red stain on the bed sheet to prove that it was her first time.
So in conclusion, Marl didn't return to this room due to some unknown reason, and Princess Tinava visited me instead. Because I was drunk, I didn't notice this. Thinking that she was Marl, I pulled her to the bed and had sex with her. HAHAHA!
I'm not at fault in this!
I felt like I wanted to scream loudly, but it wouldn't change what has been done. I don't know where this will lead to, but I think I have to take responsibility.
But I don't care about that. Right now it's not important.
[So, what should I do now?]
I don't want to use lies to extricate myself from this problem. For better or worse, it's not my preference to deceive and escape responsibility. As a man, I need to be responsible for what I've done.
Of course, I will explain exactly how and why this could happen. Aside from responsibility, I still need to assert firmly that this happened unintentionally.
In the end, even though I don't want to, I have no choice but to set this straight. Ah, I feel heavy already.
[Pardon me…]
[Nn?]
Princess Tinava called out to me right when my mind was settled to some extent. When I turned my eyes away from the ceiling and looked sideways, I was greeted by the sight of the still blushing red face of Princess Tinava.
[I am sorry…]
For some yet unknown reason to me, princess Tinava was teary eyed.
Wait, why should she apologize in this situation. Was it an apology for accidentally sleeping with her sister Marl's fiancee?
Or was it because this situation was deliberately created by her? Offering an apology without saying anything else can really make your brain to become creative.
So what was it for?
Taking that aside, I wiped Princess Tinava's tears with my hand. Whatever the circumstance, seeing a girl in tears doesn't sit right with me.
In any case, I could always use transfer magic to safely escape with Marl, Fram, and Tinava in an emergency. There's also the last resort of brute forcing my way. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself too much, but not that I cared.
By the time the great flood subsided completely, there would be no point in hiding my strength anymore. Everybody in the entire continent would have probably heard of my power already.
[Let's talk about this in detail once you settled down. Is your body alright?]
[I, that… I do not think I can stand properly at the moment…]
That said, Princess Tinava turned bright red once more as she buried her face again in my arm. What's with this cute being next to me? Calm down little me. Marl might come over anytime now. And I will also have to deal with that old man.
Umu, control success.
[I see, you can't stand up. Naturally, because it's your first time. Let's take it easy then.]
In fact, I've been following Marl's presence ever since I woke up. It seemed that she's looking for someone, as she's been wandering around the castle. But whoever she's looking for, it didn't seem to be me as she would've come to this room if she did.
Fram seemed to be with her.
But then their presence started heading to this room where I and Princess Tinava are in. Princess Tinava wasn't exactly in a presentable state at the moment.
In other words.
[I'm in deep trouble, hahaha.]
I couldn't help but to laugh. Should I go all out to deal with this situation?
No, to be really honest, I think I could make do if I make a full use of purification, transfer magic, and the mind magic that I have yet to level. But I decided to take another route.
Because if I went that way, I will have to continue to lie to Marl for the rest of my life.
[Taichi-san, have you woken up…?]
Marl, who entered the room without knocking, stiffened as soon as she saw Princess Tinava's clothes scattered on the floor near the bed.
Her gaze then slowly moved up toward the still naked me and Princess Tinava. Her brain probably stopped working at that moment.
Even if we were staring at each other, both sides remained silent. So let's take the initiative.
[Tehee, it just happened☆]
[Wha, wha, what is going on hereーーーー!? How sly! To take the chance while I was busy yesterday!]
Eh, is that so?
=====
[Was it a success?]
[I guess so? I was wondering why the effect of the sake did not kick in since his complexion did not show any change after he drank three cups. Anyway he went down after the fifth.]
[I see, then all that is left is to make Marl-chan busyー.]
[That would be it. Will this be fine?]
[Marl-chan is not someone who will tie down someone in the first place. And this will surely make a huge difference to Karendil kingdomー]
[Well, it is certainly a thousand times better alternative than sending them to Geppel kingdom. Will it be his twelfth wife this time?]
[He has eighteen wives now. Taichi-kun might end up with three soon, but at least it is still within common sense.]